Silent Struggles: Traumatic Brain Injuries and Mental Health in Law Enforcement.
Jaclyn B Caccese, Carly R Smith, Nathan A Edwards and 7 others
PMID 39106530WHAT IT FOUND
Most officers in one county reported head injuries, but screening for PTSD showed no difference between those with and without them.
Depression scores were higher in officers with head injuries, yet the cross-sectional design cannot prove the injuries caused this.
Key findings
0174% of participants reported at least one lifetime head injury, but only 23% of all reported head injuries were diagnosed or treated by a health care provider.
02Officers with a history of head injury had higher depression scores than those without, but there was no significant difference in the proportion who screened positive for PTSD.
03The combination of a head injury and a severe musculoskeletal injury was associated with higher rates of mild or greater depressive symptoms compared to either injury alone.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study relied on self-reported data, so participants may have misremembered or misunderstood questions about their injuries. Because the data is cross-sectional, it cannot prove that head injuries caused the higher depression scores. The sample was limited to one county and consisted mostly of white male deputies, so results may not apply to other law enforcement populations. Non-responders may have differed from responders, potentially skewing the prevalence estimates.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that head injuries cause PTSD in this population. The study found no significant difference in PTSD screening rates between officers with and without a history of head injury, despite higher depression scores in those with injuries.